OKLAHOMA CITY — For the first time in the preseason, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault unleashed most of his starting lineup, as MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played at the Paycom Center for the first time since winning an NBA championship. Scoring 12 of his 16 points in the first quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander hit the ground running, setting a tone on both ends of the floor as the Thunder reminded fans why it's the championship favorite .

For Daigneault, veterans such as Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Hartenstein know how vital these preseason games are at this time of the year, and Gilgeous-Alexander is no different, as the Thunder head coach explained during his postgame media availability.

“Lu's like this, Alex [Caruso], Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], [Isaiah] Hart

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